What Marking Solutions Can Be Used in Industrial Marking
Direct part marking is today a routine process in manufacturing for enterprises all over the world. For those who are still considering industrial marking technology, here is a small guide to choose among different solutions.
According to the industrial marking experts at HeatSign Company, there are many solutions for direct part marking, but the most popular ones for long-lasting marking are based on laser marking and dot peen technology.
Dot peen marking technology uses a pin to create permanent and resistible dotted marks on a surface. Perfect for hard metals, easy-to-operate and cost-effective, the technology loses points when highly distinctive engraving or fast operation is needed.
Laser marking technology burns the marks on a part, excluding the contact of the machine with the surface. This means more flexibility in part geometry, the variety of engraved information and many other ways. It requires much more investments, though.
The main milestones to define industrial marking solution are the product characteristics and the industry.
Choosing industrial marking solutions: product
Marking solutions can offer different options depending on the characteristics of your product. The solution-defining questions can be:
- type of material
- part geometry (plain or relief)
- function
- time in use
- mark content and scalability (text, codes or logo, used on different sizes of parts)
- part size
- who will process the information (human or machine)
All of the solutions have their strengths and limitations. Laser engraving, for example, is considered the most flexible and multi-purpose, still as a surface-intruding technology cannot be used for parts with high functioning demands, where the mark’s edges can cause a safety issue.
On the other hand, several general limitations of the technology can be resolved by choosing the right machinery. For example, dot peen technology is known to best suit metal parts, but there are dot peening machines that handle the surface gently and can also mark wood, plastic and some other materials.
Finally, the enterprises with very specific marking needs can consider customized solutions to ensure efficient and precise engraving process.
Practice – finding metal marking solution
While some material types are only handled by definite technology, the choice of solutions for metal marking is really promising. But to find a perfect solution one should revise further product characteristics. Is the part plain? Then you can save your costs and use dot peening. Need a high-resolution mark? The best mark quality is ensured by laser engraving technology. Answering all the above-mentioned questions on the product will lead you to the perfect metal marking solution.
Choosing industrial marking solutions: industry
Sometimes engraving technology is dictated by the industry. Like, for surgical instruments manufacturer laser technology is the most common, and the aerospace industry often chooses dot peen solution.
The present day offers a wide range of both off-the-shelf and customized industrial engraving solutions adjusted for any needs. If you hesitate about the best suitable solution for your application, there is also an option to consult the marking machines manufacturer who will provide more information on the solutions.
